Beet-harvester.



W. P. HIPES. BERT HARVESTER. AYPLIOATION FILED MAlm, 1912.

Patented Nov. '19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ITU-ii Il u gwn Moz www W. F. HPBS.

BEST HARVESTER.

APPLGATION FILED Mum@ 1912.

Patented Nov. 19, 19l2.

- 3 SHE-ETS-SHEET 2.

@iwf/290g@ W@ a?. MMM

W. E. HIPES. BERT HARVESTER.

APPLIGATIDN FILED MAR.25,1912. jdgijsfgm Patented Nov. 19, 1912,

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

` for harvesting sugar beets,

rarnnr naaien.

WILLAM F. HIPES, F MACDUEL, CALIFORNIA.

BEET-HRVESTER.

A Specification of Letters Patent.

Application Vtiled March 25,

To all whom i may concern t le it known that l, lViLLIAM F. Hires, acitizen of the United States,v residing at Macdoel, in the county ofSiskiyou and State oit' California, have invented certain vesters, ofwhich the following is a cation, reference being had to the panying`drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new l useful improvements iuharvesting maano chines, and relates particularly to a machine although1t 1s to new and useful improvements in Beet-Haie;

be understood that the invention is not li1nited to this use.

rIhe invention has for its primary object -a simple, durable andetiicient construction ot a machine of this character by the use ofwhich beets or the like nia y effectively be removed from the soil,carried rear 'ardly by positively acting devices which will bc sure tograsp the beets irrespective of variations in size. which 'will top thebeets and remove the tops and other trash, and which will automaticallydeposit tl'iese topped beets into i. laterally extending-elevator fromwhich they will be automatically deposited into a wagon or other:receptacle moving' alongside of the. machine.

rlhe invention also has for its object an improved harvesting machine ofthis type en'ibodying an improved construction and arrangement o1"-topping devices which will be sure in operation and capable of beingadjusted so as to cut ntl' the tops at the re quired points.

The invention also has for one of its objects a machine toppingmechanism is combined with devicesl i'or automatically casting` the topsor other trash from the machine and effectively separating the same fromthe beets.

The invention also aims to improre this class of devices and to renderthem more useful and connuereially profitable.

TWith these and other objects in vicw which will more fully appear asthc descrip` tion proceeds. the invention consists in cer,`

tain constructions, arrangcmenlsy a nd combinations of the-parts thatlshall hereinafter l of this type in which they Patented hov. i9, Miliz.sei-iai No. 696,135,

scription and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a top plan viewof my heet harvesting machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig.3 is a transverse section on the line SW3, of Fig. Q. Fig. 4 is a 4topplan View of a portion ot' the beet holding chains. 'Fig is a detailview of one oi" the sprocket wheels employed, and, Fig. (3 is a detailpeispective oi a brush designed to engage the beets. i

Corresponding,r and like parte are referred to in the followingdescription and .indicated in all ot tln` views et' the accompanyingdrawing by like reference characters.

Referring' to the drawing, the numeral '1 indicates. the main trainework of my i1nproved beet harvesting` machine. the same being supportedupon rear ground or travel` ing wheels 2 and fronty ground or traveling'wheels 3 to which the draft tongue or pole l isconnccted. The main framel is mount ed upon a rear axle 5 on which the rear ground wheels Q arejournaled by ratchet connections, whereby, when the machine is drawnforwardly the axle 5 will be rotated.

'lhc axle 5 has secured to it.` about midway ot` its ends, a doublebeveled pinion G. which is loose ou the designed to be coupled theretoby a spring actuated clutch member 7. The clutch member 7 is operativelyconnected by a link 8, to a lever which is fulerumed on a post i) andwhich is connected to a rod l() which extends forwardly and connected atits 'forward ends to crumed at a point in convenient proxiu'iity to thedrivers scat l2 at the t'ront ot' thc machine. The bevclcdvizucs olhthcdouhlc pinion (S respectively engage bevel pinions l?? secured to' therear ends ot' longitudinally disposed .shafts 14,- that arc mounted in asupplemental lrame ongitudimilly considered, embodying' lower side harsl? extending parallel to each other and liournalml as at 1S on the axle5. and upper longitudinally extending bars i7 which arc coimccted to thelower bars l? by braces ot any desired clniracter. The sha tts it areprovided at their forward ends with bevcicd pinions` i9. meshing withcorresponding pinions Q() secured to forwardly and upwardly extemiingnshaft-s 2l, provided axle, and which is` a hand lever l1 tul-k at theirupper ends with sprocket wheels 22. The shafts Q1 are loosely journaledat their lower ends in stepped bearings 23.

Sprocket chains 24 extend around the sprocket wheels 22 and also aroundsprocket wheels 25 arranged in lateral spaced relation to each othernear the front end of the supplemental tilting frame 16 and'intermediate of the front pair 'of sprocket wheels Q5 and the reardriving sprocket wheels 22. The chains 24 are engaged and held in placeby any desired number of idler sprocket wheels 26. All of these sprocketwheels 26 are Connected to transversely extending bars 27, that aremounted in bearings Q8 secured to the upper side bars 17a and each isyieldingly held by an expansion spring 29 whereby they will at all timesmaintain the Asprocket. wheels in proper lateral spaced relation to eachother While at the same time they will permit the adjoining stretches orruns ofthe chainsas they move upwardly and rearwardly, to spread apartas required, according to the particular diameter of beet to be graspedby them. Preferably the chains 24 are so constructed that they willpositively grasp the beets, the chains in the present instance embodyingljointed links that are formed at their lower edges with inwardlyextending brackets 30 to which springs 31 are connected, other springs32 being secured to the links near or at the upper edges of th'e latter.By this means a series of spring ngersis provided which will surelygrasp the beets as they are presented in between the rearwardly andupwardly moving stretches of chains, while, at the same time the holdupon the beets will not be of sufficient strength to injure them.

In order to top the beets as they are passed rearwardly and upwardly bythe chains 24, I provide a transversely extending topping blade '33which is secured by thumb nuts 34 to' a longitudinally extending knifeboard 35 and which is preferably held at the required elevation, inspaced relation to the board 35 so that the tops of the beets may passfreely between the knife board 35 and knife 33 while the beets passunderneath the blade and are deposited into the laterallyoperatingelevator hereinafter more specifically described. The knifeboard 35 is preferably curved at its ends as clearly illustrated'in thedrawings so it will ride up over the beets, and is yieldingly supportedat its ends by spring encircled adjusting rods 36, and intermediate ofits ends and at opposite sides, by corresponding adjusting rods 37V. Bythese` means the entire board, with the knife suspended from it, may beadjusted vertically as required. A knife board 35 is connected by theadjusting rods 36 and 37 to a longitudinally extending bar 35 and thelatter is in turn connected to a transversely extending bar 35 which issupported at its angular ends on the sides rear side of the knife 33whereby the tops,

as they pass between the knifev 33 and its board 35, will be caught bythese arms 38 and be swept rearwardly and fall in between the shafts 14down upon the ground. This cover plate 39 also extends over a laterallyoperating elevator 40 which extends out from one side of the machine andis adapted to deposit the beets into a wagon or other receptacle drawnalongside ofthe harvester, inovable along the fields therewith. In the-present embodiment of the invention the elevator embodies a preferablysheet metal trough 41 with converging sides, said trough being rigidlyconnected at one end by bracing rods 42 to the supplementalV frame 16 ofthe machine and being supported at one side of the main frame l on alaterally swinging bracket 43, and being connected by a pivoted brace 44to one side bar of the frame 16. twill thus be understood that as thesupplemental frame is raised or lowered the elevator 40 will becorrespondingly tilted and will move inwardly or outwardly as required.The elevator also embodies a sprocket carrier 45 which is driven by abeveled pinion connection 46 from one of the shafts 21 the chainconveyer underlying the inwardly and downwardly converging side bars ofthe elevator and acting toy carry the topped beets laterally so as todischarge them from one end of the elevator into the wagon body orthe'like. Preferablya wire brush 46 is secured to the machine just belowor in front of the knife board 35 and in the same manner as the knifeboard, y

being secured in place for the purpose of stripping beet leaves as thebeets pass under and in contact with the bristles of the brushunderneath the knife board.

. At the front of the supplemental frame 16 are right and left handplows 47 for the `purpose of skimming under the earth to remove anyuneven soil out of the Way of the front sprocket wheelsv25. On theinside of these plows and forming a land side therefor, are two piecesof metal, designated 48,

.the same being concave on their inner sides deeper into the earth thanthe plows. The

rearends of the blades will cause the beets to lean slightly forward sothat they will be in a forward position to be grasped by the conveyorchains 24.

In order to raise and lower the front end of the supplemental frame 16so that the plows and their concomitant parts and the front conveyersprockets 25 will be at the required elevation for. ecient work, anarched bar 4:9 is'connected to the front of the supplemental frame 16 achain 50 being secured to said bar and passing over a rocker 51 which ismounted upon the arched forward portion of the main frame 1. The forwardand upper end of the chain 50 is connected to a crank arm 52, which issecured to a shaft 53, a hand lever 54 being also secured to said shaftand designed for locking engagement with a quadrant 55.

From the foregoing description, in connection with. theaccompanylngdrawings, the operation of my improved harvesting machinewill be apparent. In the practical use of the device, as the machine 1sdrawn forwardly over the lields, the plows 47 and blades 48 willeffectively take up the beets and pass them rearwardly on a narrow ridgeof soil into and between the foremost conveyer sprockets 25, whereuponthe beets will be caught up and held by the upwardly and rearwardlytraveling sprocket chains 24 and their springlingers and will be passedunderneath the knife 33 which will top the beets, the tops passing overand upon the upper surface of the cover plate 89, being swept from thesame by the revolving arms 38, while the beets will be dropped into thelaterally extending elevator and be deposited into a wagon body or otherreceptacle moving alongside of the harvesting machine.

While the accompanying drawings illusv trate what I believe to be thepreferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto, but that variations and changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement-of the parts without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. s

I claim: A f

1. A harvesting machine of the character described, including plows, aframe supporting said plows, a conveyer operating on said frame, a crossbar carried by said frame above said conveyor, a longitudinallyextending bar connected to the cross bar, a

knife board yieldingly suspended from the longitudinally extendingV bar,and a knife carried by the knife board and located between the same andthe conveyer.

2. A harvesting machine of the character described, including plows, aframe carrying said plows, a conveyer extending rearwardly from theplows and mounted on said' 65 frame, a longitudinally extending barsupported by and above the frame, a longitudinally disposed knife boardsuspended from said bar and adjustable vertically relative thereto, anda knife carried by the knife 7l) board and disposed between the same andthe conveyer.

3. In a harvesting machine of the character described, the combinationof conveying mechanism, topping mechanism, a cover plate adapted toreceive the tops, and means for automatically sweeping the tops from thecover plate. l

4f. In a harvesting machine of the feharacter described, the combinationof conveying mechanism, topping mechanism, a coverplate adapted toreceive the beets from the topping mechanism, and revoluble arms op-`erated by the conveying mechanism and adapted to sweep over the uppersurfaces of said cover plate for the purpose specified.

5. In a machine of Ithe charalcter described, the combination ofconveyingY mechanism, topping'mechanism coacting therewith, a coverplate extending rearwardly from the topping mechanism and adapted toreceive the tops and to effectively discharge the same, and a laterallyextending elevator at the rear of the topping mechanism and underneaththe cover plate and adapted to receive the topped vegetables from thetopping mechanism.

6. A harvesting machine of the character described, including toppingmechanism, conveyer mechanism operating underneath the toppingmechanism, a cover plate adapted to receive the beets from the toppingmechanism, means including shafts for driving the conveyor mechanism,and arms secured to. the upper ends of said shafts and operable therebyover the upper surface of said cover plate, whereby to sweep the tops ofthe beets from the latter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

. WILLIAM F. HIPES.

lfVitnesses:

T. J. Pa'rrnnson, CHARLES Mnssion.

